grievance

grievance — noun

1. an unfair situation, or the feeling of being treated unfairly, that gives you a

1.名詞B2
釋義

an unfair situation, or the feeling of being treated unfairly, that gives you a good reason to complain

例句

Factory workers in Osaka had a genuine grievance about unfair pay cuts.

collocation: have a grievance about [noun]

Marta listened patiently to every grievance her young students brought to her.

同義詞
  • complaint

    more general and less emotional than grievance; any expression of dissatisfaction

  • resentment

    focuses on the internal feeling rather than the act of complaining

  • grudge

    a long-held grievance that someone refuses to let go of

反義詞
  • satisfaction

    the feeling that a grievance was resolved fairly

  • praise

    positive expression, the opposite of a complaint

用法筆記

Often used with verbs like 'have', 'hold', 'air', 'nurse', or 'voice' — for example, 'She nursed a grievance for years.' The preposition 'against' introduces the person or group believed to be at fault.

常見錯誤

❌I have a grievance to my boss.
✅I have a grievance against my boss.
💡The correct preposition after 'grievance' is 'against', not 'to'.
❌He made a grievance about the noise.
✅He had a grievance about the noise.
💡'Have' or 'hold' a grievance is the natural collocation; 'make' is rarely used in this sense.

2. a written or official statement of complaint against unfair treatment, especiall

2.名詞B2
釋義

a written or official statement of complaint against unfair treatment, especially in the workplace

例句

The employee filed a formal grievance against her supervisor for unfair treatment.

collocation: file a formal grievance

Company policy requires all grievances to be submitted in writing first.

passive: grievances submitted in writing

同義詞
  • complaint

    more general term; not necessarily formal or written

  • objection

    focuses on a specific point of disagreement rather than a full complaint

  • protest

    implies stronger public or collective action

反義詞
  • acceptance

    agreeing to a situation instead of objecting

  • approval

    positive response, the opposite of a formal complaint

用法筆記

The most common verb patterns are 'file a grievance', 'lodge a grievance', or 'submit a grievance'. Frequently appears in workplace, union, and human-resources contexts. This sense is almost always countable.

常見錯誤

❌I said a grievance to HR.
✅I filed a grievance with HR.
💡'File', 'lodge', or 'submit' are the standard verbs; 'say' or 'tell' are not used.
❌I sent a grievance letter to my manager.' (unclear)
✅I submitted a written grievance to my manager.
💡'Grievance' alone implies a formal complaint; adding 'written' clarifies the format.